Enter: NikoRu Rene
by NikoRu Rene
Summary: "Niko, there is one thing you must know about me..." Niko felt her heart stop as Lee slowly bent down to her height and whispered in her ear. "...You must know that I have been wishing for this moment ever since you returned."
1. Chapter 1

Rock Lee tapped his toe against the ground as his teammates and Sensei stood around him. It was a Tuesday afternoon, and they were told to be at the Konoha Gates at this time exactly one week ago. Might Gai had told them so after leaving unexpectedly last Tuesday during their training time. When he had returned, he had a very excited look on his face, but he had to keep it a secret from his students, much to their dismay. And ever since then, all three of the ninjas have been nervous and anxious for the day to finally come along. When it had, the three teens gathered together beforehand to discuss what could possibly be happening.

"So, what do you think this is all about?" Tenten asked her teammates. "Gai-sensei looked like he was going to jump out of his skin last week when he came back from whatever he went to!"

"Well, I am sure it is nothing too serious," Lee reassured. "But the announcement must be important, since all of the other teams are supposed to meet us here as well."

"How do you know that?"

"Naruto told me on Sunday."

Neji Hyuga had yet to say a word about the situation, giving them the air that he couldn't care in the least.

"Perhaps we are all being assigned on some important mission, and they need all of us together in order to complete it!" Lee spoke excitedly, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

"Maybe, you never know," Tenten replied, not wanting to destroy his hopes, "but maybe something happened in the village. I do remember overhearing that the woman who owned the grocery store had-"  
"A new teammate is coming to the village."

It was the first time Neji had said anything about the subject. Because of the absence of his voice, it made both of this teammates jump when he spoke.

"A new teammate?"

"Yes. Are you two really that dense?" Lee fumed slightly, his pride bruised, but Tenten looked at Neji thoughtfully, not exactly taking in the insult.

"I overheard Iruka-sensei talking to another teacher and they both mentioned things about a new person arriving. They had said things like, 'We have to prepare for her arrival!' and, 'I can't wait to meet her!'"

"How can you be so sure that it is a new teammate?" Lee retorted. "They could have been talking about anyone, like a relative or a friend!"

"Or it could be a new teammate." Neji glanced at him, his eyebrows slightly raised. Lee was about to respond, but he realized he had no rebuttal to what Neji said. Before he could think of one, Gai had arrived.

"Hello, my youthful students! Are you ready for this historical event that's about to be bestowed upon us?" He shoved his fists on his hips and grinned widely. Tenten looked up at him with an odd look.

"Historical? How is it histori-?"

"Do not question Gai-sensei's phrasing!" Lee yelled defensively, dashing to his side. "If Gai-sensei says it is a historical event, then it is a historical event and possibly more!"

"Calm down, Lee." Gai said and patted Lee's shiny hair. "It WILL be quite an important day; I can assure you three of that! You will all be blown away!"

We're all sure that Gai had said that to reassure his team, but it only made them more anxious. Slowly other teams started to leak toward the gates, all chattering and gossiping over what the possible news could be. Finally, after an half an hour, Kakashi Hatake had arrived on the scene.

"Hello, everyone!" he spoke cheerfully, oblivious to the tension within the group. "I saw a Make-Out Paradise sale in a nearby store and I couldn't help but take a look inside! But, I digress…" He glanced at the other teachers. "Gai, Kurenai, Asuma, please come here." All three teachers, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi and Gai - the only one who almost didn't follow the others for obvious reasons - made their way to Kakashi. They all grouped up for a second and murmured things to each other, making the students more high-strung.

"Hey! Don't forget about us!" Naruto Uzumaki screamed, waving his fists around, "We've been waiting for a WEEK to know that in the world is going on around here and I can't TAKE it anymore-!"

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sakura Haruno slammed Naruto on the head with her fist.

"Yeah, c'mon!" Kiba Inuzaka growled, "Tell us what's going on around here!" Akamaru barked in agreement, and there was a murmur within the group.

"Alright, alright, relax everyone!" Kakashi raised his hands up to show mercy. "Let me announce the news that has been sweeping around the village, but first, I'm gonna need a little help from someone very important and is behind this whole thing. Just a moment." Before the students could respond, Kakashi and the other teachers disappeared in a puff of smoke. This only angered the young ninjas, and they were about to protest, until they all came back again. They could see the silhouettes of the teachers within the smoke, but they didn't expect to see another silhouette before them.

This silhouette was smaller - definitely smaller - and thinner. It had a slightly feminine build to it, so it was obviously a girl. When the smoke started to clear, they could see the girl more clearly. Her hair was long and layered, with fringed bangs on her forehead. Her skin was pale and she had a nervous look about her. Her clothing consisted of a maroon, short-sleeved top that was wide around her upper body and stopped in the middle of her ribs with a black, skin-tight shirt underneath. She was wearing a maroon skirt that reached the middle of her thighs with black leggings that reached just below it. She was also wearing maroon-colored leg warmers that dragged against the ground. Her lower arms were wrapped in black fingerless gloves, and she was wearing the classic blue sandals everyone else was wearing. On her neck she wore a sheen white sash with blue blotched print over it as a choker. But what they had noticed most of all, was the Konoha headband that was also around her neck, more loose then the choker.

Every single student was in a state of shock. Their hearts froze in their chests. Their eyes sockets were stretched to their limits and their muscles were tensed. Tenten was the first to respond.

"N…N…Niko! I-I…I-Is that really you?"

"That's right, everyone!" Kakashi's mask stretched, giving one the impression that he was smiling. "NikoRu Rene has returned to Konoha!" NikoRu Rene's heart was pounding as she looked at everyone. So many faces she had remembered ever since she was a little girl. She could hardly believe how much everyone had changed.

"G-guys…I-I'm home!"

Before she could even comprehend what was happening, Sakura, Tenten, Lee, Naruto, Choji Akimichi and Kiba smothered her in hugs and screams of delight. Only Sasuke Uchiha, Shikamaru Nara, Neji, Ino Yamanaka, Hinata Hyuga and Shino Aburame stood back, watching the scene. Sure, they were glad to see her again - only Shikamaru, Hinata and Shino were -, but they didn't want to engage in such behavior because they were either not one to show their feelings, too mature to express such feelings, or too shy to advance to her just yet. Only one person wasn't happy at all to see her, and that was Ino.

She huffed angrily and folded her arms.

"She's not so great, you know…" she muttered. Neji glanced at her.

"Are you jealous or something?"

"No! Of course not!" Ino squeaked, "You're such a freak!"

Meanwhile, Niko was still being smothered with hugs, each one tighter then the next. She hadn't been at Konoha since she was twelve years old. From what she had seen, it didn't change all that much and neither did her old friends. Once the hugging spree was over, Niko was able to breathe again.

"Niko! I am so glad to see you again! It has been so long!" Lee balled his hands into fists and bounced up and down again. Niko gave him a grin and bounced up and down with him.

"I know! I missed you all like crazy!"

"Where did you go?" Tenten asked. "No one ever told us!" Niko folded her hands at the small of her back.

"Well, we moved to someplace really far away. I can't remember exactly where. I think it was around the Land of the Mist. But anyway, we had found out that our family moved there, and my parents thought it would be a better idea for me to be around them and to train with them."

"…That's all!" Naruto spoke loudly, like usual. "Sheesh, we all thought something BAD happened!" Niko laughed shook her head.

"Duh, of course not! Everything was fine!"

"Well, then why did you guys decide to come back?" Sakura asked. Niko looked at her and frowned.

"What're you trying to say? That I shouldn't have come back?" Sakura quickly threw her hands in front of her and waved them in mercy, stuttering her answer.

"N-no, that's not wh-what I meant at all! I-I was just curious as to why a-and-" But before she could continue, Niko laughed again and rested her hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"Relax, Sakura! I was only kidding! We came back because my parents thought my training was good enough to train here again."

"Oh…I see!"

Niko then heard something that made her heart stop almost right on queue.

"Hey, Niko! Where's your dog?"

Niko's head snapped over to Kiba, who had his usual toothy grin on his face. She hadn't expected the question to pop up so quickly.

"Wh-wha-?"

"Yeah, Niko, didn't you have a pet dog? Whatever happened to him?" Niko's heart started to thump hard. Why did they have to ask NOW?

"…"

_ " Yuki!"_

'_No…'_

"_YUKI? NO! D-DON'T LEAVE ME!"_

'…_N-not now…'_

"_I NEED YOU YUKI!"_

'…_P-please, not now!'_

" _NO!"_

Her head snapped to the ground, tears threatening to give out. Before they could slide down her face, Naruto, with all of his impatient glory, busted in on the conversation.

"Hey, you guys are boring me! Let's forget about this and go get some ramen! C'mon, Niko!" Naruto grabbed Niko by the sleeve and yanked her toward the gates. The others watched them, slightly taken aback, but nevertheless decided to follow them. Even the group that didn't greet her decided to tag along, but only one person didn't come along. Well, not just yet.

It was Lee who stayed behind.

Lee was feeling surprisingly muddled. Of course he was glad - happier than ever, in fact - that Niko was back home, but he couldn't help but question something. Something he felt deep in his chest when he saw the smoke clear.

Before Niko had left, Lee and Niko were closer then Siamese twins. Ever since Gai introduced them to one another, they were never apart. They trained constantly together, and didn't judge each other for their appearances or their skills. Lee unfortunately, suffered insults from both. With his shiny hair, huge eyebrows, medicine ball sized eyes and lack of Ninjutsu and Genjustsu; he wasn't the most popular kid around. Niko wasn't as made fun of as he was, but she was laughed at for having the same problem: no talent for Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. Niko didn't know either because of certain reasons, but those will be explained in later chapters.

They always spent time at each other's houses, sleeping over and talking all night. They would always listen to the radio, occasionally singing along to the songs they knew. There was one song in particular that they both swore to love forever and remind them of each other. The song talked exactly about what they did every night and not to let other people's words get to them. After hearing the song, they both swore to keep their heads up high and not get hurt by anyone's words.

But either of them weren't prepared for what was about to happen a few months later. When Niko moved away, Lee's life crumbled. He kept on training, but he felt like he had no motive. Even though Niko had told him not to let this get to him, it was inevitable that it was going to sting him. He didn't have any idea how dependent he was on her until she was truly gone. Tears would sting his eyes every time something reminded her of him. His heart would pound just at the thought of hearing her voice. His body would shake when he pictured her chubby-child face in his mind. He didn't exactly know what all of these feelings meant, but frankly, it scared him. And all of the feelings were now coming back, but at full force.

Niko looked beautiful. She had lost her chubby cheeks and body and it was replaced with a long, slender face and frame. Her body did have a slight curve to it, like the other Kunoichi. Her hair framed her face, and her skin may have had a few small pimples on it, but it was still beautiful in his eyes. She also seemed to have a great deal more of confidence in her body. Before she had left, she wore a simple T-shirt and long, black pants, in addition to the skirt she was wearing now. She didn't like to show off any part of her body, and considered it rude. But that seemed to change, not that Lee really minded it. He was almost too shy to hug her when he saw her, but he was her best friend, he couldn't ever deny her.

All of these thoughts drove him in a spiral that lasted about ten straight minutes. He had no idea how long he had been standing there, lost in his own thoughts, but he suddenly snapped back to reality and looked around in confusion.

"Wh-what happened? Did I fall asleep or something? I have to get to Ichiraku Ramen before everyone leaves!"

* * *

**END CHAPTAH!**

** Oh, Lord…how do I explain this? **

**Okay, well, let me start by saying that my complete and utter obsession with Rock Lee (Which is STILL strong as hell) started back in the summer of 2007. My two closest friends were really into Naruto at the time, and begged me to get into it with them. I refused profusely, thinking it was stupid (Yeah, I went there.), but I decided to try it anyway. I THINK the first episode I ever watched was when Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were trying to get Kakashi to take off his mask or something, but prior to that, I was on Quizilla religiously (Anyone remember that site?) and I used to play Naruto Spin the Bottle games with Pictures so I could see the characters and try to figure out their personalities. In almost EVERY single one with Lee in it, I saw that one picture of him his big smile that's almost viral on the internet. I'm sure if you look up 'Rock Lee smile' on Photobucket or something, you'll find it. Anyway, I always thought he was kinda cute, and eventually he grew on me. Then I found out that they played Naruto on weeknights from nine to ten and then on weekends from ten to eleven, then One Piece till eleven thirty, then Dragon Ball Z until midnight. You could say I started a whole plan from then on. **

**The first episode I watched that was a serious episode (By that, I mean, not a filler episode), the Hokage was explaining the preliminaries and such. At one point, Lee came on and started boasting about Guy, in which case I MELTED at the sound of his voice. So, from then on, I was completely hooked on him. **

**For the entire school year, I was obsessed with him to the point I would write 'I love R.L' on my folders (Those dumb paper one that always fell apart). A ton of people would ask me who he was, thinking I had a boyfriend from another school, and all I did was giggle like an idiot (I was SUCH a dork back then). Even at the dances, I would pretend I was slow-dancing with Lee during those songs while my friends danced with their boyfriends (Which almost ALL of them had). For the end of that year, we took a trip to New York, where I bought a Rock Lee figure and a Leaf Village headband, both of which I still have, along with a Rock Lee plushie that stays on my bed at aLL times. **

**Yeah, you could say I was a complete Naru-Tard. **

**So that's how I got int Rock Lee, the handsome green beast of the Leaf Village. And what's even better is that I'm not really a fan of Naruto anymore. I've read/watched the series so much that I've grown tired of it. I won't even watch the Shippuden series (LORD can only know if I spelled that right), because I have no interest in it now, even IF Lee is in it. THANK my lucky stars the Rock Lee TV show was recently born!**

**For those of you that don't know, there is a Naruto Spin-Off called Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals. It's basically a show about Lee and Team Guy doing silly things that really have nothing to do with the plot of Shippuden. They're all in chibi form, which makes them all adorable, and the show is actually pretty hilarious! I've only watched two episodes so far, and I've fallen in love with it! It's such silly humor! And the ending song is awesome! **

**Anywhoo, watching this inspired me to post up my fanfiction of Rock Lee that I've been working on since that fateful summer in 2007. I posted it on Quizilla, and no one –NO ONE – read it, so I took it off and posted it up here, and then NO ONE read it here either, so I took it off. When I looked back on it, I realized that my writing skills back in my day SUCKED. I was so awful that I almost vomited (A bit crude, I know, but nevertheless the truth). So I decided to re-write it back in April last year, and I love the way it's coming out. So I decided to give it another shot and post it up. So far I'm only on Chapter 8, since I lost my interest in the story a while back. But if people wind up liking this, I'll start writing it again. So, let me know what you think, okay? I hope you guys like this. It's been five years in the making!**

**-NikoRu Rene**


	2. Chapter 2

Lee's heart pounded as he raced down Konoha and toward the Ichiraku Ramen stand. It wasn't because he was running – he was quite fond of it – but it was because in the first time in his life, he was truly nervous. Seeing Niko again shocked him, and left him with feelings he had yet to truly understand. He was afraid to make a fool of himself in front of her. He knew he needed to talk to Gai about his problem. He would understand.

By the time Lee had made it to the Ichiraku Ramen stand, everyone had ordered his or her meals. Lee scanned the seats to see if any were open. There was only one left. And, wouldn't you know it; it was right next to Niko. She was sitting next to Tenten, who seemed to be filling her in on what she had missed over the time she was gone. Niko looked like she was listening, and she was nodding and responding at the appropriate places. Lee swallowed over a lump in his throat. He knew he would have to get over this feeling sooner or later, but he just couldn't help himself from watching her. And he couldn't help but feel utterly entranced. But before he could get a complete eye-full of his new distraction, Gai had come to his side. He started to ask in a rather hysterical tone where his star-student had gone off to. He was obviously worried. This caused everyone to look at the scene with raised eyebrows.

"Sheesh, calm down, Gai," Kakashi replied exasperatedly. He had yet to touch his ramen, much to his students' disappointment. "You're making a scene."

"Don't you DARE tell me what to do, Kakashi!" Gai turned on him, snarling. "How would YOU feel if your student went missing?"

"Well, I would trust them to get to their destination safely," Kakashi responded more calmly. "They are Shinobi, after all. Maybe Genin, but they have been well trained. I'm sure Lee just had something to do before coming here." With that, Kakashi turned back to his meal, which caused Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke to tense in anticipation. Their goal recently was to finally get their teacher to reveal the bottom half of his face, and much to their disappointment; he has failed to comply with their wishes. Until now…hopefully.

Now, before I go any further, you all must be asking questions. Questions as to where we are in the original timeline and such. Well, as Kakashi had just said, all of the ninjas are still Genin, so it is obviously before the Chuunin Exams. I also assume you're wondering how all of the younger teams know Team Gai. The reason why they do is because Gai had stopped Kakashi one day, while out with his team, and challenged him to one of his crazy duels, this one in which him losing would cause him to walk around Konoha on one foot until midnight. Naruto urged him to accept it, so Kakashi did.  
Both Lee and Naruto cheered on their Senseis as the other four watched. They had all gotten well acquainted (Neji and Sasuke a little irked at one another for their cheek, and Tenten officially crushing on two guys) when the challenge ended. Lee did fall for Sakura, but she turned him down instantly, which lead Lee to the verge of tears before realizing that there were plenty of fish in the sea. Even though both Naruto and Lee got off the wrong foot, arguing at one another about whose Sensei was the best; they still developed a good friendship. Shortly after this, Team 7 told the other teams about Team Gai, and they all became a group of friends.  
Now, I'm sure you're wondering why Niko knows them all. This is because she wasn't with Team Gai when they met Team Seven, but they nevertheless told her about them, and slowly Niko developed friendships with most of the others.  
Now I shall continue with the story...

At this time, Gai had taken upon himself to get right up into Kakashi's face and argue with him about the subject further, which prevented Kakashi from touching his ramen yet again. Lee watched the scene for a second before turning back to the seat he was supposed to be sitting in. But his eyes took a little detour first: right at Niko's face, which was now turned at him. Lee let out a small yelp in shock and his face flushed slightly in embarrassment. Niko's eyebrows rose in surprise but she nevertheless giggled at Lee's silliness. Lee felt his heart throb as he heard her laugh, and he rested a hand over his chest for a second.

_'L-like an angel's…' _

"Hey, Lee! C'mon, sit down!" Tenten waved him over toward the girls. Lee shook out of his slight daze and smiled at his teammate.

"R-right!" He walked toward the seat and sat himself down, turning his body so he could face the girls.

"So, Lee," Niko said, turning to him as well. "Why were you late getting here? I mean, you were with us one second, and then I turned to say something to you and you're gone! What happened?" Lee rested his arm on the table as he tried to stir up a reasonable, yet honest answer.

"Well, you see, I…I had something in my mind, and I guess I got lost in thought because before I knew it, you had all left!" Lee smiled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "I am truly sorry, Niko. Forgive me for my tardiness!" Niko giggled again and stirred her ramen subconsciously with her still-stuck –together chopsticks as she watched him.

"No worries, Lee! It's all good!" Tenten then stretched her head over the seat and called over to Lee.

"Lee, I was talking to Niko about the things she missed while she was gone. Why don't you tell her about your training?" Lee's eyes suddenly lit up. Of course! Why didn't he tell her before?

"Oh, yes! Niko, I MUST tell you all about my training!" Lee swiveled his body so it would face hers completely and quickly launched off into his past. Niko smiled at him and turned to face him as well, dropping her chopsticks to give him her full attention. Lee told her everything she had missed that had to do with their team. When Niko had left, Lee was just taken under Gai's wing, so it was no surprise to her that Lee would take over Gai's image. Lee told her all about his training methods, his special ways of kicking, his highest record of jumping rope, the weight of the weights he had under his leg warmers, and countless other things that Niko took in completely. Niko would have listened until the end of the world. It was just so great to be back to where she belonged. This place, Konoha, was where she grew up, where she lived for most of her life, where she became an official ninja, and where she met her best friend. The thing she had missed the most was what she was experiencing now, talking to the one boy to accepted her. Seeing him again was without a doubt the highlight of her return. Of course she was happy to see the rest of her friends, but Lee WAS her first and best friend, so he did have a little bit of a higher ranking in Niko's book then the others.

By the time everyone had finished their meals (For Naruto and Choji, their 7th rounds), Lee had finally filled Niko in on EVERYTHING that she wasn't there for. His breathing was slightly faster, due to talking so much at once, and he flopped his elbow on the table, resting his cheek against it in exhaustion. Lee didn't think he had ever talked so much in his life.

"Well, we should be heading back," Kakashi replied, guiding Sakura out of the stand. "I have a mission tomorrow, and we all have to get up pretty early."

"That doesn't matter because you'll be an hour late anyway," Naruto muttered under his breath. Niko smiled at him and waved goodbye as each team left the Stand. All that was left now was the original Team Gai, for the first time a year. Gai lifted himself up and flashed his classic pose at his students.

"Alright, my youthful students, let's be off! We have training to do tomorrow and Niko needs to rest after a long day of youthful celebration!" Niko slowly pulled from the stand only to remember that she hadn't touched her dinner.

"O-oh! I didn't eat anything!" Niko gasped, giggling with embarrassment.

"N-niko! Are you hungry still?" Lee spoke quickly, anxious and guilty. "I-It was my fault! I did not let you eat your meal! Forgive me, Niko! I am truly sorry!" Niko smiled at him softly and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Lee," she replied. "It was worth it to talk to you again after so long!" Lee felt his face heat up once again and he rubbed the back of his head.

"O-oh, Niko it could not have been that interesting, could it?" Lee laughed nervously. "I-I hardly let you talk about your adventures!" Niko gave him a weak smile that he couldn't decipher. He felt his heart thump as she flashed it, and Lee could tell at almost an instant that Niko wasn't telling him something important. But he quickly shook it off when Gai and the others started to walk out of the stand. Lee quickly grabbed Niko's hand out of pure old memories and pulled her toward the entrance.

"Let us go, Niko! The others are waiting!"

* * *

**END CHAPTAH!**

**Yay, I gotta review! Thank you so much, LeexSaku Rocks, for liking the story!**

** I hope the whole 'Almost-completely-altering-the-timeline-to-fit-the-needs-of-this-story' thing isn't too troublesome. In my defense, my conception of Naruto overall was awful back when I came up with this story. In the original, I thought Lee dropped out of the Academy! Ooh, boy…yeah, I'm glad I have a good grip on it now!**

** Anywhoo, I hope you liked this! Let me know what you think, okay? **

** -NikoRu Rene**


	3. Chapter 3

Niko couldn't help herself from smiling as Lee pulled her toward their team. It felt as if she had never left when she felt the roughness of his bandages against her fingertips. Of course it did hurt to realize that she did in fact leave them, and she couldn't help but feel slightly guilty at this. But she knew very well that it wasn't her fault. Her parents really did want her to train with her family for once. She had lived in Konoha her entire life, but it was only supposed to be temporary; her parents were looking for their family the entire time. She could distinctively remember her parents leaving her home alone when she was old enough and was just starting school. They knew she would be too busy thinking about her studies then to worry about what they were doing, and they assumed that Niko would make some friends so she wouldn't worry if they didn't come back after the school day ended.

However, her parents failed to realize that Niko was born with her mother's worry-ness. In her classes, her mind was propelled into thoughts that left her shaking. Her mind listed tons of worst-case scenarios that more times then one ended up with Niko watching her parents get buried. She tried her best not to let it interfere with her studies, but she couldn't help it sometimes, it was too painful for her to not worry about her parents possibly being in danger.

Niko's mind was shaken from her thoughts as Gai bid farewell to his students. This of course led to him giving hugs to each student. Neji would, of course, refuse, and Tenten would just blush and accept it, but Lee would take it all in stride and hug back with even more force, if possible, then Gai had initially given. When it was Niko's turn, she felt his arms wrap around her and enfold her body. She would feel the material of his jumpsuit against her cheek as it pressed against his chest. She then felt a sense of warmth within her. She felt like she was truly home again. The same feeling she had gotten from Lee came back to her, but of course was not as strong.

Niko then felt Gai whisper something in her ear softly.

"I'm very glad to be back in your presence, Niko," Gai spoke softly, which seemed very unlike him. "You don't have any idea how much your team truly missed you. Especially Lee. He couldn't go a day without thinking about you when you first left. It took a lot to get him back into shape." Niko felt her body tense in slight surprise. He didn't seem THAT happy for her to be back. "I failed to realize how much of an influence you have on him. I have never seen him this happy in years. I have to thank you for that. You have made him far more confident then I could ever do…" When Gai pulled himself away from her, Niko was almost in tears. Gai flashed her a small smile and patted her head. He then waved to his students and dashed off into the night. As Lee continued to call goodbye and wave his arms as hard as he possibly could, Tenten came to Niko's side.

"What did Gai-sensei have to say to you?" she asked, noticing the wetness in her eyes. "Are you alright?" Niko looked at her friend and smiled softly.

"I haven't felt this good in years," she replied. "Thank you, Tenten." Tenten looked confused for a second, but nevertheless smiled at her. She then pulled her into a hug for a goodbye.

"Where do you live, Niko?" Lee asked as he came to her side. "I would be honored to walk you home!" Niko smiled at him and pointed to the north side of the village.

"I live down that way," she replied. Lee's smile fell as he bit his lip.

"O-oh. I see," he gave a small mumble and looked down. He ran his fingers down the back of his neck again. "I just so happen to live at the southern end of the village…" Niko gave him another weak smile and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't feel bad, Lee-"

"W-would you like me to walk you home anyway, Niko?" Niko couldn't stop herself from jumping at his sudden determination. He had a slightly hopeful look in his eyes, as if it would be a privilege to walk her home. Niko felt her cheeks turn pink as she tried to come up with something to say.

"I can walk her home tonight, Lee," Tenten responded for her. "My house is in that direction anyway." Lee looked at Tenten desperately, then back at Niko pleadingly. Niko bit her lip, but nevertheless nodded.

"I think it would be better if Tenten brought me home, Lee. My house is completely out of your way!" Lee looked down sadly, as if he was just turned down a wedding proposal. Niko felt guilt spurt from her stomach and she pulled him into a hug.

"You can walk me some other time, okay?" She spoke softly. Lee's body tensed for a second before hugging her tightly and spinning her around in a circle with all his might.

"Oh, I would LOVE to, Niko!" He yelled in delight, still spinning her body around. Tenten felt a sweat drop slide down the back of her head as she looked at Neji for help; she gasped when she realized that he already left.

Lee let Niko go and dashed down the south end of the street.

"See you later, Niko! Tenten! Farewell!" Niko couldn't stop giggling as she waved goodbye. Tenten glanced at her and smiled.

"You know, he really is glad you're back," she said, turning to face her. "We all are, even if some of us don't look it." Niko glanced at Tenten and bit her lip. She then shifted her eyes down to the ground.

"I'm not that great, you know…" she mumbled. "I'm not even supposed to be a ninja." Tenten rested a hand on her shoulder.

"We know," she said, "but I think we're all proud that you're trying to be the first in your Clan to become a Shinobi. At least Lee and I are. He really respects you." Niko felt her face flush as they started to walk down the street.

"You really think so?"

"Oh, yeah! Lee's just like you! He had to work and train to get where he is now. And so did you. Neither of you have a natural talent that makes you better then anyone else." Niko bit her lips as she felt Tenten's hand leave her shoulder. It left a cold feeling on her skin.

"Yeah…"

Both of the girls went quiet for a while as they walked down the dark street. Niko couldn't help but shiver slightly. It wasn't because of the cold, but something she has always been ashamed of. She had a fear of the dark. She had ever since she was a young child, and the feeling has yet to leave her. The only people who knew of her fear were Lee and Sasuke. Sasuke knew because he had caught her in the middle of the night one day, scared stiff and too petrified to move. Sasuke was decent enough to bring her home, but knew that he could never let her live it down.

"Hey, Niko…" Niko felt a chill up her spine as she heard Tenten drag the words along her tongue. She glanced at her to see a rather mischievous look in Tenten's eyes.

"Um…yeah?" Niko asked warily. Tenten glanced at her and stopped at the end of the street, where the houses were in view.

"I feel like treating you out to Ichiraku Ramen the day after tomorrow. Would you like that?" Niko could definitely tell something was askew here. Tenten wasn't really one to offer ramen to people.

"Uh…sure. But, what's the catch?" Niko asked suspiciously. Tenten smirked and turned to face her.

"The catch is, you have to pretend you've fallen for Sasuke for the entire day tomorrow, starting at eight in the morning and ending at eight at night." Niko threw her body backward in disgust.

"E-excuse me?"

"You heard me! You think you're up for it?" Niko rubbed the back of her head weakly and shifted from one foot to another.

"What if Sakura and Ino eat me alive? Would I be allowed to tell them?" Tenten grinned more wickedly and shook her head.

"Nope, you're not allowed to tell them." Niko almost fell over if it wasn't for the sake of keeping her dignity.

"Argh…alright, then. I'll do it." Tenten smiled more innocently.

"I knew you wouldn't back out on a challenge! You're just like Lee and Gai-sensei after all!" Niko felt a sweat drop slide down her head.

'_Is that supposed to be a good thing?'_ she asked herself.

"Well, I'll see you bright and early tomorrow for training!" Tenten said cheerfully. "Do you remember where the training grounds are?" Niko nodded and cracked her knuckles on reflex.

"Yeah…yeah, I think I do."

"Great! Well, I'll see you there! And remember, eight in the morning!" Niko then watched Tenten run down the right part of the street and into one of the houses. Niko sighed to herself and walked down the road to her own home.

"Great, now I have to pretend I like Sasuke…Sakura and Ino will never forgive me," she mumbled, rubbing her upper arm. "This'll be tough. I don't even really like Sasuke. Well, I mean, in that way that is. He is pretty good looking, but that's all really. I don't really go for those kinds of guys…" Niko looked up at the sky. "I wonder what I am looking for…I guess someone who is…" Niko trailed off as she neared her house. She walked down her small driveway and opened the door. She stepped inside and was almost bombarded by her cat, which came racing down the foyer.

"E-eep! Rekie!" Niko laughed as she scooped up her cat in her arms. "Hey, kitten! How's it going?" Rekie mewled loudly in reply, making Niko laugh harder.

'I guess someone energetic…'

"NikoRu, you're home!" Niko looked up to see her mother, Maderi Rene. Niko smiled and placed Rekie down.

"Uh huh, I'm back," she replied. Maderi walked back to the kitchen where she previously was.

"How does it feel being back home, Dear?" she asked as Niko took a seat at the table.

"It was amazing!" Niko cried, unable to hold in her happiness. "I missed all my friends so much! They all missed me like crazy, Mum!" Maderi laughed softly and placed a plate of food on the table.

"Well, I'm sure you're pretty hungry after all that excitement! Eat up!" Niko felt her stomach growl as she stared down at her food.

'And someone caring…'

"We all went out to Ichiraku Ramen to celebrate me coming back," Niko told her mother – she could hear her murmur, "Goodness, when was the last time I've been there?" – "But Lee was telling me so much about what I had missed, that I didn't touch my bowl!" Niko chuckled softly at the memory as she began to eat her food. Maderi knitted her eyebrows together in thought and she looked over her shoulder slightly as she was preparing a plate for her husband.

"…Could you repeat that, Dear?" Niko stopped eating for a second. Her plate was already halfway done.

"Huh?"

"Repeat what you just said."

"Oh, um…Lee was telling me about what I missed, and I was listening so much, I forgot to eat my ramen."

"Lee?"

"Yeah. Rock Lee."

"Ah, yes…yes, I remember him…" Maderi looked back down at the plate she was preparing. "I didn't know you and Lee were such good friends." Niko stopped eating once again and looked over at her mother in shock.

"…Mum, Lee and I are best friends!" Maderi raised her head in surprise.

"Really, now? When did that happen?"

"Before we moved away! I can't believe you don't know that! Mum, we've been best friends since before we became Genin!"

"…Genin is the lowest form of a Shinobi, right?" Niko groaned softly under her breath.

"Yes, Mum. It is."

"Oh, well, I guess your father and I didn't know because we were so busy trying to find the rest of our family-"

Maderi stopped talking for a second. She had stopped preparing as well. Niko didn't touch her food.

The whole house went silent.

'Bless my Uncle Rio…'

'_Bless Auntie Hikari…'_

'_Bless cousin Amiko…'_

'_Bless Uncle Remshi…'_

"Hey, everyone!" Both Maderi and Niko stopped and looked at the door. Niko's father, PoRu Rene, had come home. He smiled at his daughter and ruffled her hair.

"Hey there, squirt." Niko grinned as she made an attempt to fix her hair.

"Hey, Dad." PoRu came to Maderi's side and kissed her cheek.

"So, what's for dinner tonight?"

"Hey, Dad," Niko said as Maderi guided him to the dinner table. "Do you remember Lee?" PoRu sat down and stared at his daughter with the same cemented eyebrows Maderi gave her.

"No, no I don't. Who is he?" Niko sighed and rested her head on her hand with her elbow on the table.

"He's my best friend, Dad."

"I thought Tenten was your best friend."

"Well, she's my second best friend."

"And Lee's your first?"

"Yeah. He's just the same as he used to be! A little more confident then he was before, probably because Gai-sensei has been-"

"Ahh, Gai! Now there's a name I remember! How is he? Good, I hope!"

Niko felt a small vein pop out of her head.

'…_And definitely someone polite!'_

* * *

Niko bit her lip as she tossed in bed that night. She just couldn't sleep. She was far too excited to be back in Konoha to even think about sleep. She wanted to get into some missions and become a Chuunin already! Becoming a Chuunin was her biggest goal at the moment. Since she was already a Genin, she really wanted to prove that she was worthy of becoming a higher-ranked Shinobi. Niko then started to wonder if the others were Chuunin too. Maybe not, because none of them had the vests on.

"I'm sure we could all become Chuunin," Niko told herself. "From what I remember, all of us are pretty strong." Niko started to think of some of the kids who probably wouldn't be able to become a Chuunin.

Sakura for one. From what she remembered of her, she had no particular talents. She was as sharp as a whip though, but she was frail and sensitive back then. She seemed to have become a little braver over time, but Niko honestly couldn't see her becoming strong enough to be a Chuunin just yet.

Niko didn't really think Ino or Choji could become Chuunin either. She didn't think Ino could be because of her attitude and her tendency to let her temper get in the way of her judgement. She thought Choji wouldn't because of his low self-esteem. Niko felt herself huff slightly; she hated that Choji had such a bad radar on himself. He really was a great ninja. She remembered hearing about how taunted he was for being chubby and being from the Akimichi Clan. Niko always thought that it was nothing to be ashamed of. Niko decided to try her best to get Choji fired up and feel better about himself.

Niko then thought of Hinata. Hinata may have been from the Main Branch of the Hyuga clan, but she was still weak. Niko hated how Neji constantly beat up on her. She knew all too well how it feels to be put down constantly, as did many other of her friends, and it tore at her guts that she had to be Neji's teammate and live with his snobby attitude. One day, she was going to set him straight, whether he wanted it or not.

Niko then thought about her own team. Neji, without a doubt would become a Chuunin because, well, he was a genius. He may be a jerk, but he was a tough opponent, no doubt. Tenten was a good opponent, but she focused purely on weapons at her disposal. Niko always wondered what Tenten would do in a situation in which she was without her weapons. Would she forfeit? Would she use a trump card jutsu? Or would she use purely Taijutsu?

Then the thought of Taijutsu brought Niko's mind straight to Lee. Niko knew that Lee could be a Chuunin. She knew Lee would never give up, even if he was fresh out of chakra. He would just keep going and going until his heart stopped beating. That was one thing about Lee that definitely scared Niko. That he didn't know when to give in. Lee had told her this while they were talking at Ichiraku Ramen. At that time, Niko silently thanked the heavens for not putting Lee in a situation where he could have possibly killed himself fighting. Niko didn't know what she would do if Lee was no more, if Lee had died…

She then started to think about what if Lee really HAD died while out on a mission prior to her returning. Having to hear that kind of news after looking forward so much to seeing him would probably slam her down in the rocks. She would probably never want to live again without Lee by her side. It did take a lot out of her when she had to move away. It took a huge amount of effort for her to get back on her feet. And she knew that if she had to do that again, she most likely wouldn't be able to survive.

Just thinking about this made Niko's eyes water. Lee really did have a huge impact on her. Lee was her first REAL friend who actually accepted her for who she was. Her and Lee would do everything together. They would eat, train, and even sleep together sometimes. They would find each other sleeping at the training grounds out of exhaustion in the middle of the night, and have to pick themselves up and carry each other home. Niko felt herself smile through her tears as she wiped them away. Lee really was her lifesaver.

"Rock Lee…" Niko sighed and stared up at the ceiling. "The little hothead who couldn't…what can you say about a guy like him? Well, he's…"

"Niko! I am so glad to see you again! It has been so long!"

"_Oh, yes! Niko, I MUST tell you all about my training!"_

"_Let us go, Niko! The others are waiting!"_

"…Energetic…"

"_N-niko! Are you hungry still? I-It was my fault! I did not let you eat your meal! Forgive me, Niko! I am truly sorry!"_

"_Where do you live, Niko? I would be honored to walk you home!"_

"…And caring…"

"_Well, you see, I…I had something in my mind, and I guess I got lost in thought because before I knew it, you had all left! I am truly sorry, Niko. Forgive me for my tardiness!"_

"…And polite…"

Niko felt her heart thump hard for a second.

"Lee…"

Niko shook her head as a blush filled her cheeks.

"N-no! No way…I must be insane…lack of sleep, I bet…" Niko turned onto her side and she pressed her face in her cool pillow in an effort to cool down her face. Her eyes felt heavy as she closed them, and she knew she would have a dreamless night for the first time in what seemed like forever; she didn't have to yearn about being back home anymore.

* * *

**END CHAPTAH!**

**YES, MORE people like this thing! Gah, I am SO grateful! *Hugs you all***

**I really hope you guys like this! Do you think Niko's already developing something for Lee? A little quick, don't you think? I mean, she just got home! *Grin***

**Anyway, please review! I would really appreciate it! **

**-NikoRu Rene**


	4. Chapter 4

When Niko awoke the next day, her heart was pounding. Like she knew before, she had a dreamless sleep, but all the feelings she had about being back home were back and fueling her adrenaline. Niko pulled herself out of bed and looked at her alarm clock. It was around five in the morning, which was when she usually got up. Niko then showered and dressed quietly; her parents were still slumbering off. Niko had the tendency to wake up early to start her day, and her parents weren't exactly pleased if she accidentally woke them up, so she knew she had to be careful.

As Niko pulled on her headband, Rekie crept into her room, mewling loudly and demanding to be fed. Niko chuckled at her and poured some cat food in her bowl. As Niko watched her beloved friend race up to the food and start to eat, she was reminded of her mission today, to pretend to love Sasuke. She felt herself bite her lip as she stepped out of the door. It was definitely going to be a challenge. She held absolutely no feelings for the boy. And why Sasuke, anyway? Why couldn't it have been Shikamaru, or Neji, or Lee-

Niko felt the heat quickly lift to her face again and she pushed that thought out of her mind.

"Sh-sheesh," Niko muttered. "I guess I'm still sleepy…I better do something to get this out of my head." As Niko walked down the streets of Konoha, she felt more and more nostalgic by the second. She never knew she would see this place again, or hear it, or smell it, or feel it…It was glorious to witness all of them at the same time. She only knew how many times she had tried to re-enact these feelings on her own, but it could never measure up to her actually being there.

As Niko walked up to the training grounds, she saw Gai and Lee off in the distance. It seemed as though Neji and Tenten weren't up yet, which didn't surprise her in the least. Only those two would be up at such an hour.

Niko trudged up to the two, smiling as she watched them.

"Gai-sensei! Lee!"

Lee felt a shock instantly rush up to his toes and shoot straight up his spine and in his ears. Did he really just hear her voice? It wasn't a dream after all? Lee turned to the direction that he heard the voice from and, indeed, he saw Niko making her way toward him and their sensei.

"Haha, NIKO!" Gai cried, waving a hand at her. "You seem so much more full of youth then you did yesterday!" Lee felt his legs weaken and tears prickle his eyes. She was there…she was finally home…

Lee felt his heart leap along with his legs as he raced over to Niko with a large grin on his face.

"NIKO!" Niko gasped as Lee wrapped his arms around her and lifted her clear off the ground again, swinging her body around in circles.

"Niko, you are really back after all! Yesterday really was not a dream, but a beautiful, wonderful reality that was full of youth and joy!" Niko laughed as she hugged Lee's neck to prevent herself from slipping.

"L-lee! Put me down!" Lee slowly lowered his best friend down on Earth, rubbing the back of his head again.

"Forgive me, Niko, but I could not help myself! I kept thinking that yesterday was one of my dreams!" Niko felt her face go light pink as she registered what Lee had just said in her mind.

"Y-you've had dreams of me returning?" Lee quickly blushed and looked at the ground nervously.

"I-I missed you a lot, Niko," he spoke softly. "I-I could not stop myself from dreaming…" Niko raised her arms to her chest, touched by his words.

"L-lee…" Lee glanced up to see Niko's eyes staring up at him with extreme admiration. Such a look was something he was not used to, and it made him flustered. Lee felt his face redden as he tried to come up with something to say.

"N-niko, I…" Before he could say a word, Tenten had entered the training grounds.

"Niko, there you are!" Tenten spoke, breaking the silence. Both Niko and Lee broke out of their stare and looked at her.

"Hi, Tenten!"

"Tenten, what are you doing here?" Lee asked. "You usually are not here so early!"

"I was going to ask Niko if she would like to help me find Neji so we can all train together." Tenten then looked at Niko with a look only she could register. Niko nodded in understanding.

"Sure, why not?" Lee slowly felt something creep in his stomach. Something he couldn't really register himself. All he knew was that he did not want Niko to leave his side, even if she was going to come back. Niko slowly looked over at Gai.

"Uh…sensei?" Both Lee and Tenten looked over at Gai as well; Gai had been watching the entire moment with tears streaming down his face.

"O-oh, forgive me!" Gai cried, wiping his face with the back of his jumpsuit sleeve. "Niko and Lee just had such a youthfully beautiful moment, I could not take it!" Niko blushed and felt her body tense. What did he mean by that? Lee on the other hand, had tears sliding down his own cheeks.

"O-oh, sensei! I am so happy that Niko has finally returned, I could not help but have a youthful moment with her! And I am sure there will be many more to come!" Lee then rushed into his sensei's arms and they embraced tightly in the middle of the training grounds, weeping openly. Niko chuckled softly at their silliness as Tenten slapped her hand on her forehead.

"Can't they go one day without doing that?" Tenten then turned to Niko. "We gotta go find Neji, and talk more about the bet," Tenten added, lowering her voice for the last few words. Niko felt her heart lurch in nervousness as she nodded.

"R-right."

By the time Lee and Gai had finished their hugging and weeping session, Niko and Tenten were about to leave the training grounds. Lee felt his throat contract as he saw Niko's back; he didn't want to see it getting farther from him anytime soon.

"N-niko?" Lee called, his voice sounding thick with desperation. Niko felt her shoulder blades tense as she felt Lee's voice skimmed through her ears. She turned back instantly, which made Tenten flinch. When she saw Lee's eyes, she could feel the will of her staying there with him.  
_'He doesn't want me to leave,' _Niko's mind raced._ 'He couldn't have missed me THAT much...'_  
"M-may I please accompany you?"  
_'...Could he?'_  
Niko stared at him regretfully. She could feel Tenten's impatience behind her. They had to find out where Sasuke was before he went anywhere else. For all they knew, he could be on a mission as they stood there. Before Niko could respond, Gai came to his side and slapped a hand on Lee's shoulder.  
"No, Lee. We have to train. I'm sure we can trust young Niko and Tenten to locate Neji and get back here safely." Lee's spine stiffened in slight annoyance. Gai couldn't have come in at a worse time...  
"Don't worry, Lee! We'll be back!" Niko reassured. "Just train, and we'll be back here with Neji before you know it!" Lee bit his lip and nodded at her. Niko flashed him a small smile before Tenten took Niko's shoulder.

"See you later, Lee! Bye, Gai-sensei!" Both Niko and Tenten then walked out of the training grounds. Lee rubbed his upper arm in anxiousness and sighed softly. He had no idea what was going through him. All he knew was that he had to do something about it before it drove him insane.  
"Lee, are you alright?" Gai asked suddenly, making Lee jump.

"Wh-what?"

"You seem very distracted today. Tell me what is bothering you." Lee stared up at his sensei in slight awe. He was really willing to risk not training to talk to him?  
"W-well, sensei...it is rather private. I would rather you tell no one about this." Gai laughed and patted Lee on the back.  
"No worries, Lee! These fiery lips of youth are forever sealed to insure your trust in me! Come, let's sit." Gai then guided his star pupil to the same rock they had went to when they had their last talk.  
"Well, then! Tell me what's on your mind!"

Tenten and Niko stopped walking when they reached the Ichiraku Ramen stand. They didn't go in, but they stood near the street to discuss the bet a little further.

"Alright, after hearing from Sakura that Sasuke will be training from eight this morning to one in the afternoon, you have three hours or so," Tenten informed her friend, who rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Niko mumbled. "Just for some free ramen…"

"Niko, what did you say?" Both Tenten and Niko jumped as they suddenly saw the orange-clad ninja race up to them with gusto.

"Did you just say free ramen! I am SO in! What's the bet, huh? I'll do anything for free ramen!" The minute Niko heard Naruto's words, she bursted into a fit of laughter. She doubled up and held her stomach, trying to regain her composure while Tenten rubbed the back of her head.

"Well, if you want to try and rip off Kakashi-sensei's mask then-"

"That's all! Heck, that's cake! I can do it in ten seconds flat! Just watch me!" Naruto then started to dash down the road. THIS was not what Tenten had expected.

"W-wait! Isn't Kakashi-sensei on a mission today?" Tenten asked quickly. Naruto stopped in his tracks. His motions seemed gloomy as he made his way back toward the girls.

"Yeah, he his…darn it! And I wanted some free ramen…" Niko had stopped laughing at this point.

"Meh, don't worry, Naruto. It'll happen to you someday."

"Like when?"

"Well, obviously not now, but you never know!" Niko smiled at him and Naruto rubbed the back of his head with both hands.

"Hehe, yeah, I guess you're right, Niko!" Naruto said happily.

"We gotta go and find Neji so we can train," Tenten said. "We'll see you later, Naruto."

"Wait, did you guys eat breakfast yet? Maybe we can all eat together!" Naruto suggested, still smiling. Tenten and Niko looked at each other. Since when did Naruto offer to eat with other people?

"Uh, sure!" Niko said, "How about at seven-thirty? Gai-sensei wouldn't like it if we ate now, he would say it would slow us down." Naruto scratched at his whiskers and shut his eyes.

"Sounds good to me! See you then!" With that, Naruto sped off.

* * *

"Well, aren't you gonna tell your ol' sensei what's bugging you?" Lee was staring at the rock he was sitting on for the past five minutes, struggling to come up with right words to say about his problem. He knew it was going to be hard to talk about, because he had never really felt this way before. It was alien to him.

"W-well…" Lee bit his lip, once again hesitating.

"Well, come on, Lee! Give me something!" Gai cried out, laughing and patting Lee's back again. Lee took a deep breath and started to say the things that were floating through his brain.

"Niko and I have been best friends even before we had become Genin. We both experience the same problems; I cannot use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, and Niko cannot either, but we are still trying our very best to become the best Shinobi we can be. To prove to everyone that even though we have to work harder and are at a disadvantage, we can still be splendid ninja." Lee paused for a second, taking in a few small breaths before starting again. "We used to do everything together. We would learn together, we would train at night together; we would even sleep over each other's homes and talk to each other all night long. Being with Niko made most of my past-Genin experience so much easier." Lee smiled softly as memories gently flooded his mind, but realizing he had yet to tell Gai everything, he continued. "But when Niko moved away, it was so unexpected. For both of us. I knew that I could not live without her reassurance by my side, and I faltered in missions more then usual. I knew I would have to get over it, but it was so difficult. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. But I knew I had to.

"And now that Niko is back, I am overjoyed. I honestly did keep thinking that yesterday had been one of the many dreams I have had over the years of her returning. And now that I see her for the first time in years, she has changed so much. She seems emotionally stronger and more determined to take a bite out of life." Lee smiled as Niko's face drifted into his head, but nevertheless went on, his voice slightly lower in nervousness. "But, whenever I look at her clearly, I feel something strange within me. Like the urge to be with her as much as possible. But I almost feel scared to have her look at me. I can feel my heart leap into my throat almost every time she does but for some strange reason I enjoy the feeling. I enjoy feeling her eyes on mine. It gives me a rush that I had never felt before…" Lee trailed off slightly and slowly glanced up at his sensei. What he saw made Lee raise his eyebrows in shock.

Gai was crying yet again.

"L-lee…" Gai smeared his tears on his palm, his voice full of emotion. "A beautiful, beautiful thing has been bestowed upon you…truly beautiful, indeed. I-I never expected my star-pupil to experience such a wonderful feeling at such a youthful age…but, then again, I had the same feeling around this time!" Lee looked up at his sensei in confusion.

"Gai-sensei, what am I experiencing? I am having such a hard time analyzing this feeling! Please tell me!" Gai wiped the rest of his tears away and shook his finger.

"Ah-ah-ah! I have decided to let you think about this one. Let it be part of your training. It is a good thing to know how you're feeling and that will help you push them away during missions!" Gai flashed him his signature pose. "Chew on it for a little while, Lee. You'll find out what it is!"

* * *

**END CHAPTAH!**

** Okidokey, then! So, Lee kinda tells us his feelings toward Niko, but has NO clue what they are. I guess he doesn't really know himself after all! And what about that bet, huh? What'll happen there?**

**-NikoRu Rene**


	5. Chapter 5

Niko looked up in awe at the Hyuga compound as the girls approached it. She had never really been to the Hyuga complex before, but it was quite a sight to behold.

"Wow, Hinata and Neji live here?" she asked Tenten. Tenten looked at her and grinned at her reaction.

"They sure do. Pretty impressive, isn't it?"

"Definitely. I feel poor just standing in front of it. Now, where's Neji?"

"Oh, there he is!" Tenten pointed at a door that was opening up, and indeed Neji stepped out. He looked at his teammates and walked up to them.

"Morning, Neji," Niko said as cheerfully as possible.

"What are you two doing here?" Neji demanded quietly. Niko was taken aback by his attitude. She could feel instant rage fueling her muscles.

"We wanted to find you so we could all train together," Tenten said in a semi-sweet tone. However, her charm didn't faze Neji at all.

"I'm perfectly capable of getting to the training grounds on my own. I don't need any of your help. Let's go." With that, Neji sped off toward their destination. By the time Neji was only a speck, Niko was shaking.

"Why, that little-"

"Niko!"

"Neji's such a jerk! How dare he talk to us like that! I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!"

"Niko, wait-" But before Tenten could finish, Niko had become a speck in the distance as well. Tenten gasped in shock.

_'Since when did Niko get that fast?' _

Niko bit her cheek hard as she watched Neji get closer and closer. She could not STAND disrespect of any kind, especially at her. Neji was the one who got on her nerves the very most. She knew she had to give him what-for.

She picked up speed as Neji came closer and closer. Her fury spiked to cause her to scream.

"NEJI!"

Neji looked over his shoulder and smirked.

"Finally able to catch up with me, eh?" Niko immediately sped up to match Neji's speed. Neji looked somewhat surprised, but not enough to wipe out his cool exterior.

"Seriously? This is the best you can do?"

"I can run faster, I just wanted to see if you can measure up to my lowest speed." Before Niko could think of a harsher thing to say, Neji said something that both her and Lee used to hear almost every day.

"What makes you think you can measure up to a real Shinobi when you can't do Ninjutsu or Genjutsu? You and Lee can hardly call yourselves ninja." Neji's eyes narrowed. "Especially you. You aren't even supposed to be a Shinobi."

Niko could feel a rage she hadn't felt in ages. The feeling ran clear up her veins and into her heart, causing it to thump hard with anger. She could see red as the trees flew by. She knew better then to hurt Neji then and there, even though she knew he deserved a good kick in the ass, but she had to regain her control. And she did.

She glared at Neji with the utmost hate in her eyes and suddenly saw Neji flinch. He hesitated for a second, letting his speed falter, and Niko took this chance to run ahead of his and pick up speed toward the training grounds. Her heartbeat lowered as she ran, and she could feel a small smirk play across her lips.

"Jerk…"

* * *

Neji was certainly surprised. He knew he felt something strange when Niko's eyes were on him, and it sent something down his spine. Literally. The feeling still lingered as he ran, and his heartbeat had quickened slightly. He was still trying to decipher what had come over him when Tenten raced up to him.

"Did Niko say anything to you?" she panted, looking at her teammate. Neji lowered his head slightly and spoke with the same calm voice he usually used.

"No. She did not."

* * *

Lee punched and kicked at a wooden dummy with all his might. He knew he wasn't hitting it with all of his concentration, since he kept missing, and he repeatedly scolded himself for it. Lee knew it could not be helped, though. His mind was far away, somewhere else. He was trying to train in two different ways. Mentally and physically. He already knew that this kind of multi-tasking was not something he could do.

He suddenly heard a rustling in the trees nearby. Lee looked over quickly, expecting an enemy, only to see Niko walk out slowly. Lee felt adrenaline quickly fill his veins and he turned back to his wooden dummy, hitting it even harder then before.

"Niko! Where are the others? Don't tell me you got lost on the way there and back!" Gai laughed as Niko approached him. She slowly rubbed her arm as she looked at her sensei nervously.

"Well…about that, sensei…I kinda…" Lee looked over at Niko. She was staring at her sensei's feet. Lee felt worried at an instant; did something happen between Neji and Niko? Lee knew all too well about their hatred toward each other, how Neji always taunted and belittled them, and Niko's rather instant temper getting the better of her. Lee would try to calm Niko down, and it usually didn't work, since she would never relax until Neji was knocked out cold.

By this time, Neji and Tenten had stepped into the training grounds as well. Neji had a rather distracted look on his face, but nevertheless glared at Niko. Niko glanced back at him raised her eyebrows.

"What are you looking at, Neji?"

Neji's eyes narrowed more in what seemed like a warning, and turned away to train. Tenten ran up to Niko and tugged at her sleeve.

"What did you say to him?" She whispered.

"I didn't say anything. Don't worry about it," Niko reassured before walking over to the wooden dummy that was next to Lee's. Lee felt his heart throb as she came closer, but he watched her carefully.

"N-niko…" he spoke softly as she came near. "F-forgive me for asking this, but did something happen between you and Neji?" Niko looked at him and smiled lightly.

"Nothing happened, Lee," she spoke gently, even though she was slightly annoyed by the question. She then turned to the dummy. Lee nodded at her and started his punches and kicks again. He suddenly heard a sharp, repeated cry from his left. He looked over to see Niko kicking rather ferociously at the dummy with her left leg. She was kicking it quickly and roughly, without pausing. Her arms were positioned in a way that she was well-balanced and her right leg was planted firmly on the ground. Lee's mouth dropped in astonishment.

_'H-her poise…it is much more focused then before…she must have been training all these years…just like me.' _

Lee had to stop and look at Niko more carefully. Indeed, she was holding herself a lot better then she used to. Before she had become Genin and moved away she would trip over her feet after a few decent kicks. He looked more closely at her face. Niko's eyes were wet, and so was the skin around them. This was natural; Niko's tear ducts always seemed sensitive. Lee examined her even more and what he saw made him gasp.

_'N-niko…h-her irises are black!'_

Lee could not stop himself from letting the gasp escape his lips, but Niko did catch it, because she instantly stopped and raised herself to look around.

She didn't jump.

_"Niko, stop doing that! You're not supposed to jump in fright at sudden noises! You should be more calm about your actions!" _

_ "Y-yes, sir!"_

She didn't flinch.

_ "You shouldn't let your reflexes hesitate, Niko! Stay on your feet!"_

_ "I-I will, sensei!"_

She didn't scream.

_"Do you want the enemy to hear your fear, Niko? You have to churn your cries into actions!" _

_ "O-okay, sensei!"_

She stayed still, she let her body flow, and she didn't yelp in fear.

Lee was truly in a state of shock.

"What was what?" Niko was asking, looking around. She then turned her eyes on Lee. "Lee, did you hear something just now?" Lee quickly shook out of his daze.

"N-niko…" Lee was about to question Niko's seemingly immense amount of training over the years when something stopped him. Niko had started to cough. But it didn't sound like a regular cough from a cold. It sounded like she had something deep within her throat. Tears leapt from her eyes as she kneeled to the ground, and she gripped her chest and the ground. Lee was at her side at an instant. He patted her back gently, but his eyes were wide in fear. This was something he had never experienced with her before.

"N-NIKO!" Lee heard Gai roar and run to her side. He had an extremely panicked look etched in his features, which scared Lee. Tenten and Neji had come at this point and were watching the scene. Tenten was worried, but Neji simply watched with his usual blank expression.

"N-niko! Does your heart hurt! Wh-where does it hurt, Niko! Tell me!" Gai was speaking loudly and hyperactively. Tears were filling his eyes slowly, but Lee knew something had to be wrong if Gai was in such a state. Tenten could feel her heart thump harder at her friend, and she couldn't help but get down at her side as well. Niko's coughing was not relenting. Lee had time to question one thing in his mind.

_'Her heart?' _

Niko gasped loudly and took in some deep, clear breaths; she had finally stopped coughing. Tears were falling from her cheeks, but she was smiling.

"I-I must have swallowed some dirt or something," she explained rather modestly. Tenten let out a sigh of relief and got to her feet; Neji left the minute she stopped coughing. Gai and Lee helped her get to her feet. Lee's hand was still on her back.

"N-niko, are you sure you're alright?" Gai asked urgently. Niko wiped her eyes on her glove and smiled up at him.

"I-I'm okay, sensei. I'm sorry to make you all worr-" Niko didn't have time to finish, for Gai had just pulled her into a hug. Tenten chuckled softly as an attempt to ease the awkward moment among them, but it couldn't be helped; Lee knew he was going to be next to hug her. When Gai let her go, he patted her head gently and leaned down to whisper something in her ear. Tenten and Lee couldn't make out what he said, but knew it must have been important from the look of seriousness in his eyes. He then pulled away with his usual smile.

"Well, let's get back to training!" Tenten looked between them in confusion before shrugging. She could ask Niko about what happened later. But Lee couldn't take this standing down. He never felt more scared in his life, seeing Niko in such a state. Before Niko could turn back to her dummy, Lee took her arm gently in an effort to make her look at him.

"N-niko…" She looked at him softly, but he could see that same weakness in her eyes he had seen yesterday.

"Lee, I'm okay. I just swallowed some sand while I was on my way here, that's all." Lee's hand trembled very slightly on her arm, and Niko could feel his concern. She smiled at him gently.

"There's nothing to worry about, Lee." She turned to face him and she hugged his neck gently. Lee froze slightly in shock, but nevertheless hugged her back.

"I am sorry Niko, but I just cannot help but worry about you," Lee said softly. "You are my dearest friend, and I want you to be safe…" Niko felt her face turn pink at his words.

"Lee, I always feel safe when I'm with you," Niko said as she pulled away. Lee's face flushed as she looked at him in shock. Niko felt safe around him? He had never heard such a thing before. No one ever told him that he was strong enough to truly make someone feel reassured. Hearing it now truly boosted his ego. Especially hearing it from Niko.

Lee smiled at Niko and gave her a thumbs up.

"Niko, you have just made me feel all the more stronger! I must thank you for this wonderful feeling you have bestowed upon me!" Niko giggled at him.

"Anytime, Lee! I'm glad I made your day!" With that, Niko turned back to her dummy. In almost an instant, she had started to kick it just as hard as she was prior to her interruption. Lee stared at her in awe.

_'Niko would always take breaks when she was training with me before we became Genin…'_

"Niko, you have truly changed over the years!" Lee cried out. Niko slowly stopped her kicking and looked over at him. Her face with lightly flushed.

"Y-you really think so?"

"O-of course I do! You hold yourself so much better then before! And you are not taking breaks in-between periods of time!" Lee turned to face her more properly. "I noticed something else as well. Your irises…they are black now." Niko blinked as she looked at him.

_'Of course he didn't know…' _

"Well, about that…" Niko was suddenly interrupted by Gai.

"Niko! Lee! Tenten told me that Naruto had invited us to have breakfast with him at seven thirty! We shan't be late for such an event! You all know very well that it is a rarity for Naruto to invite us to ramen! We should leave now if we are to make it in time!" Niko and Lee looked at their sensei. He was standing near the entrance of the training grounds with Tenten and Neji at his side.

"Yes, sensei!" They said in unison, walking toward them.

* * *

"Well, it's about time you guys got here!" Naruto yelled as the four entered the Ichiraku Ramen stand. "I just finished my third bowl! What took you all so long?"

"Oh, shut up, Naruto," Neji muttered as he took a seat. Naruto quickly threw his attention toward Neji in anger.

"Who are you to tell me what to do, Neji?"

"All right, all right…everyone calm down," Niko sighed, sitting down between them. "We're here to eat, not cause a fight." Lee sat down next to Niko and Tenten sat down next to Neji. Gai took his seat on Neji's other side.

"All right, everyone! Let's order and dig in!" Niko giggled as her and her teammates ordered their meals.

"And hopefully Lee won't distract me this time!" Niko laughed as Lee quickly stiffened.

"O-oh, Niko, I am truly sorry about that!" Lee spoke quickly. Niko giggled softly and rested her hand on his shoulder. She felt her heart throb for a second.

"D-don't worry about it, Lee! I was only kidding!"

_'H-his shoulder is so hard…his muscles are so much bigger!' _

Lee smiled weakly and turned back when his ramen had arrived. Niko took her hand off his shoulder and licked her lips as her meal arrived as well.

"This looks delicious!"

* * *

Niko gasped and stared down at the receipt in shock.

"O-oh my word!" Naruto looked over her shoulder at the receipt and squinted.

"Boy, that's a lot of zeros!"

"Th-there wouldn't be so many zeros if you didn't order 7 dishes excluding the three you already had before we came along!"

"You know, I have no money."

"Wh-what?" Niko looked at Naruto in shock. "Y-you're not serious! I thought you were treating us to ramen!"

"I never said that! I wanted to know if you guys wanted to eat with me!" Niko groaned and slapped her hand with her forehead.

"Are you serious right now? How am I supposed to pay for this?" Niko suddenly heard Gai laugh and pat Niko on the shoulder.

"Niko, I think you're forgetting that I am here! I'll be happy to pay for the meals!" Gai paid for the meals and thanked the ramen chef.

"All right! I will see you all later! I have a mission to complete!" Gai took off quickly, the curtain swishing with his force. Tenten glanced up at the clock. It said eight exactly. Tenten looked at Niko.

"O-oh, uh…I have to go! I just remembered! I-I'll see you guys later!" Niko left the stand, but not any later then that Lee stopped her.

"N-niko, where are you going?" Lee asked. "I thought we would train some more together. You know, for old time's sake!" Niko felt her heart sink in regret. That was something she had been looking forward to since she got there.

"L-lee…" Niko sighed and hugged her arms gently. "I-I'm sorry. I-I'm meeting Sasuke, so I can't train with you today…" Niko quickly turned away and dashed into the woods. She knew she couldn't handle seeing his reaction to what she just said. It'd most likely prevent her from going along with the bet altogether. Lee felt his pores crawl along his skin. He took a step back in shock, feeling his legs shake.

_'M-meeting Sasuke…? S-since when did Niko start hanging out with Sasuke? C-could she be…c-could she have…?' _

Lee suddenly felt a new feeling. This feeling he had learned not to let get the better of him. A feeling he knew he wouldn't be able to control fully. A feeling he had yet to feel to this extent.

Lee quickly dashed off toward the training grounds, not even giving Tenten or Neji a second thought in his mind.

He felt rage. He felt a rage he had never felt before in his life. This rage seemed to have a complete mind of it's own. All he knew was that he wanted to rip Sasuke apart. He wanted Sasuke to wish he had never been born, or had ever known Niko was alive. But he was scared of this feeling; scared that he would hurt Sasuke because of it, so he had to let it out somehow. But he knew that he was torn between two thoughts. Part of him really wanted to hurt Sasuke, and prevent Niko from seeing him ever again, and the other part of him was too afraid of the feeling to go anywhere near Sasuke.

Lee ran up to the training grounds and started to pound and kick at the dummy with every amount of rage he had within him. Part of him wanted it to be Sasuke, and the other half was glad that it wasn't Sasuke. The rage didn't relent as he thought of Niko running in the woods toward Sasuke. Of course he knew that Sasuke was the most popular boy in the village with the girls. He knew that Sakura, Ino and even Tenten had a crush on him, not to mention the other girls that did as well. Himself on the other hand, he was definitely not a looker. With his large, round eyes, shiny bowl hair and large bushy eyebrows, girls usually detested his looks. Sure, it did always bring him down a lot more then it should have been, but he knew that he still had Niko as a friend at least. But could it be possible that he was losing her to Sasuke as well?

Lee felt his heart quicken as he saw images fly through his mind. He could see Niko start to train, eat, laugh and cry with Sasuke. She would spend less time with him and eventually forget about him. With this realization, even worse - much, much worse - images flew through his mind. He could see them performing intimate acts, like Sasuke hugging her, holding her…even kissing her!

Lee slammed the wooden dummy as hard as possible, sending it flying through it's pole and it crashed into a tree, almost knocking the tree over completely.

_'No…he cannot…she-she is too young…too delicate…t-too innocent!'_ The simple thought of Niko being touched in romantic ways ripped him apart. He knew he was being extremely protective. He knew all too well that Niko could do whatever she wanted, but the simple fact that she would be subjected to those intimate things was too much to bear. Hugging, holding, kissing…sure, they seemed innocent enough. But were they really?

Lee didn't know Sasuke all too well, but he sure knew Niko. Niko was shy physically. He knew it for a fact. He would see her face flush whenever Lee hugged her and he couldn't help but think it was the sweetest and most pure thing he had ever seen. And he knew he would never want to see that go away. When he thought of Sasuke, he knew it wasn't right to make assumptions. But he could not help himself. Guys like Sasuke were usually all the same. They knew all too well about their looks and how they drove girls wild. Most guys like that would take advantage of the girls and leave them in the dust to get to the others. Even though Sasuke was cold-hearted, it didn't mean that he wouldn't do this purely for the sake that he could. And if Niko felt the same way Sakura and Ino did, he could take advantage of her…

Lee let out a yell and punched at the air as these new thoughts fueled his anger. He knew it would take a lot to get these new and miserable feelings out of his system. He also knew the possibility that he was completely wrong with his assumptions and that he was simply overreacting.

But what were the chances of that?

* * *

**END CHAPTAH!**

** Ooh, what's goin' on, Lee Getting' kinda defensive? This'll be interesting, huh? I'm sorry for not posting in a long time. To be honest, this fanfic totally slipped my mind. I hope this chapter makes up for that, though! I hope you all like it! **

** -NikoRu Rene **


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